So with a little help of a buddy across the pond, I recently got to see 'Revolver'. Apparently (and unbenknownst to me), it has received some harsh criticism. No, it's not 'Lock, Stock...' or 'Snatch' gangster/comedy/thriller genre with it's delightful Cockney agents and dark humor. Rather, 'Revolver' is straight gangster flick - with a twist. Without going into too meuch detail (so as to avoid spoilers), I'll try to explain.
Remember a few years back when Cameron Crowe did his best with his avant-garde directing of 'Vanilla Sky'? It wasn't a bad film, per se (Hell, I liked it), but you always had the notion that Crowe was trying to hard to be a 'real' director - as all of his previous endeavours were clearly more lighthearted. That's comparison I am making with Guy Ritchie.
The film is very much of two halves; the first plays out very much like a standard Ritchie film, smart gangster takes on flash gangster, wins, then reprisals take place. The second half, all rhyme and reason leave the room to be left with philosophical psychobabble and musing, and an incomprehensible wild mess that neither answers any questions from the first half or rounds the film off to any sort of satisfying conclusion.
Visually, there are some incredible scenes (one involving a car crash, and another successfully utilizing the animation used in 'Waking Life'). Fortunately, like other Ritchie efforts there isn't a banal tied on romantic subplot. At times, the plot itself becomes a little too clever for it's own good (kinda like 'Ocean's 12), with it's erudite references and Rashomonian storytelling - However, if you are true fan of Ritchie's earlier works (and can pay attention throughout), this is an enjoyable flim and I do recommend it.
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